Atrial Fibrillation Treatment Cost in India

Atrial Fibrillation: Diagnosis and Treatment in India

It may not be easy for a patient to diagnose atrial fibrillation symptoms by himself or herself. The condition can only be diagnosed after conducting a series of physical and diagnostic exams such as an electrocardiogram. A doctor may order a few additional tests to confirm the atrial fibrillation diagnosis. It may include electrophysiologic tests, echocardiography, and blood tests. The blood tests specifically look at the levels of the thyroid gland and the functioning of the gland, since it may lead to atrial fibrillation.

Treatment options for atrial fibrillation include the use of medications and surgery. Based on the condition of the patient, the doctor may decide to either prescribe a few medicines to control the underlying condition or conduct surgery to place a pacemaker to control the rhythm of the heart, among other reasons. The following are the two major treatment options used to correct atrial fibrillation:

Medications

The doctors may prescribe any of the following three types of medications to correct the condition:

• Anti-arrhythmic drugs: These medications are prescribed to the patients so that the rhythm of their heart can return to normal. The patient may be required to stay in the hospital after getting a dose of these drugs so that the rhythm can be monitored carefully for any abnormality and corrections further needed.
• Rate control drugs: These types of drugs are administered to control the heart rate. These specifically work on the ventricles and prevent them from beating too fast. Some of these drugs include beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers.
• Anticoagulants: This category of medications works by reducing the risk of blood clots that can potentially cause atrial fibrillation. 

Surgery

When a patient cannot be administered medications because of some reason or when they do not work as effectively as predicted, then surgery may be required to control or correct atrial fibrillation. There are several types of surgeries that are used to treat atrial fibrillation. The doctor may choose among them according to the need and conditions of the patient.

• Surgical Procedures

  • Pacemaker implantation: A pacemaker is a special device used to alter the rhythm of the heart. It is an electrical device that is placed under the skin of the patient and monitors the heart rate. In case the heart rate is too slow, it sends electrical impulses to the walls of the heart and makes it beat. Thus, the electrical impulses sent by the pacemaker helps keep the normal rhythm of the heart.
  • Catheter ablation: This procedure is used to destroy the weak area of the heart that may be resulting in its abnormal beating. This is a highly specialized procedure conducted only by an experienced surgeon.
  • Electrical cardioversion: This procedure involved giving a minor, controlled electrical shock to the heart muscles to alter its rate. The patient is carefully monitored during and after the procedure to check the heart rate.
  • AV node ablation: During this procedure, a catheter is carefully inserted through the vein in the groin region to finally reach up to the AV node. Radiofrequency energy is then used to destroy the AV node, which prevents the transmission of signals from the atrium to the ventricle. This is a permanent procedure and as a result, the patient requires a permanent pacemaker device following the surgery.

• Surgical Treatment

  Major surgery is prescribed for patients with abnormal heart rhythm that has not been unsuccessfully treated with either catheter ablation or medications. In addition, it is conducted in patients with a history of stroke, enlarged atrium or blood clots in the atrium.

  The surgical procedure is known as the Maze procedure. During this procedure, several small incisions are made to define a pathway for the electrical impulses to reach the AV node. Thus, the impulses are used to prevent the impulses from affecting the atria, leading to atrial fibrillation.

  This procedure can be conducted in the traditional manner through open surgery or with the help of newer technology such as cryothermy, ultrasound, laser, radiofrequency or microwave radiation. The procedure can also be performed in a minimally invasive manner with the help of keyhole surgery. In other cases where atrial fibrillation results because of other cardiac conditions, surgery may be conducted to treat that particular disorder. This will eventually rectify atrial fibrillation.